What Do I Do?
by LoveMeSomeMattHardy
Summary: RandyxOCxCody. Alex, the newest Diva, joins Legacy and starts dating Cody. But with Randy around... it gets "Complicated". And what will Ted's role be in this whole situation?
1. Complicated

Okay, so, I made a big mistake. I spent all night listening to late-night radio. You know, when they play all the songs you haven't heard in ages? Rediscovered one of my old favorites, "Complicated" by CDJ. Ended up with a list of like... sixteen songfic possibilities, actually. Anyway, I heard this song and got a great idea. It turned into this fic called "What Do I Do?"... enjoy! :) Just an FYI- it's set when Legacy was still together, so... yeah. Haha. I hope you like it. Please review!

I own nothing to do with WWE, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Legacy, or "Complicated" by Carolyn Dawn Johnson. The only creations of mine are the events in the story and the character of Alex.

-/-\-/-\-

**xx What Do I Do? xx**

"Shut the hell up with the pickup lines, Rhodes," I scoffed, offering a laugh and a roll of my eyes as the four of us - Randy, Cody, Ted and I - stepped off of the elevator. It was two am, and we were just back from a night on the town after Raw at Green Bay's Resch Center. The night was full of fun and entertaining moments, but Cody had... gotten completely and utterly wasted, to say the very least. "Wasted" might even be an understatement. He'd been dropping cheesy pickup lines all night, and everyone had gotten a laugh out of it. I liked Cody, and I was close with him, but even I had to laugh at the fool he was making out of himself.

Cody sidled over to me, and slipped an arm around my waist. "So hey, uh, Alex… what's the chance of you…"

I smirked, and shook my head. "Not even close, Codeman."

"Damn."

"Ohhh, Rhodes just got shut down!" Randy grinned. "Ted, you get a pic of that?"

"You know it," Ted smirked, looking at his phone. "Not only did I get a pic of it… it's officially Tweeted."

"Aww, guys, stop picking on poor Cody," I laughed, giving the American Nightmare a side hug as we stopped outside his door. "Poor guy needs his beauty sleep," I joked, leaning against the wall next to his hotel room door.

Cody yawned widely as he opened the door. "Yeah, Alex is right." He pecked me on the cheek, just like he always did when he was saying goodbye. Cody and I's friendship was just... like that. Close-knit. I was the same way with Randy and Ted. "Catch y'all later…" Cody said matter-of-factly before retreating inside and closing the door behind him. A thump shortly after had told us he'd passed out just inside the door.

"Ha. Lightweight," Ted smirked. "I'm down this way. See you two tomorrow," he said, high-fiving Randy and giving me a friendly hug before bidding farewell and stalking down the hall to his hotel room. Randy and I had rooms next to one another a little way back down the hallway, so we walked back down that way together. Neither of us said much. I wasn't sure why he was so quiet, but I just didn't know what to say. So, we walked in reserved silence. Then again, Randy had always been a man of few words.

Once we got back to the room, Randy turned to me and smiled. "See you tomorrow? I say we make Cody buy breakfast."

"You really think he's gonna be up by then? And like he's going to even want to think about food? You heard Ted... lightweight," I joked.

"Yeah you're probably right," he laughed, shaking his head. "Well, we'll find out in the morning. I could use some sleep."

"Me too. Night, Randy," I said. He gave me a hug, a hug that seemed to linger for just a moment too long, before backing away and disappearing into his room and I into mine.

Back in the room, I laid on my bed. I was exhausted, but found myself unable to fall asleep. My thoughts started to drift back to the last year of my life, after I'd really become established as a "force to be reckoned with", as Matt Striker called me, in the divas division. Before I knew it, I was next in line for a women's title shot. Just as my push was heating up, Vince McMahon himself approached me about the next step in my career. Randy had just formed Legacy, and they were fast becoming the "bad boys" on Raw. Since every good stable needs a diva, and I was being pushed as a heel, it was a "perfect match", to use VKM's words verbatim.

So a few months ago, I'd officially joined them. We were proclaimed, by many of the IWC, to be "Evolution - only better". That only furthered the push, because there was a feud between Randy and Triple H over the championship, and since Hunter was Randy's mentor... well, the rest is history. As per usual with any inter-gender stable, there's got to be the romance factor thrown in there. World Wrestling Entertainment's genius - and I use that word loosely - creative team had decided that I would make a good pair with Cody. I'd been a bit apprehensive at the beginning, but then after a while it was all good.

Until recently.

**I'm so scared that the way that I feel is written all over my face.**  
**When you walk into the room, I wanna find a hiding place.**  
**We used to laugh, we used to hug, the way that old friends do.**  
**But now a smile and a touch of your hand just makes me come unglued.**  
**It's Such a contradiction, do I lie or tell the truth?**  
**Is it fact or fiction, oh the way I feel for you?**

A couple of weeks after our excursion in Green Bay, we were in Cleveland for Monday Night Raw. Just as we were getting into the arena, a couple of the stage hands mentioned that Stephanie was looking for us. Great. What now? Yeah, some pictures had ended up online… so? After dropping my bag off in the divas' locker room, I made my way to Stephanie's office. Ted was already there, so I took a seat next to him. Cody came in a moment later, and sat down on the other side of Ted. It was a couple of minutes, but Randy finally made it to our impromptu little meeting. He looked disgruntled, and rather annoyed.

"Well don't we all just look like a little happy family," Steph said, rolling her eyes.

The four of us exchanged glances, wondering what the hell her problem was. Maybe she was at that time of the month. Who knew? "What's this about, Stephanie?" Cody asked.

"I just wanted to set a few things straight here. I know my dad and brother are being complete fuckheads to you. I get it. And I get how pissed you are. So I want you to be at ringside with Alex for her championship match with Maryse tonight. If you guys are out there, I know they're going to try something. And when they do, that's my cue to disqualify Maryse and strip her of the title. It's a guaranteed win for you."

I glanced around at Ted, Randy and Cody. "Sounds like a plan to me," I said.

"All systems go," Randy nodded.

"Okay. So the match is up next… good luck, Alex."

Twenty minutes later, Maryse and I were embroiled in an intense match. I had the upper hand, as usual, Ted, Randy and Cody were surrounding the ring protectively, and the crowd was absolutely dead. It was always like that. Who wanted to see the face get completely demolished? But then, just as I was setting up for my finisher, I heard the crowd come alive. One look at the stage told me all I needed to know. Vince, Shane and Hunter were all walking down the ramp: Shane was carrying a lead pipe, Vince had a baseball bat in and, and Hunter, of course, was with his trusty sledgehammer.

What the fuck? I mouthed to myself, moving to stand by the ropes as they were approaching. Before I knew it the Legacy guys were in between them and the ring. Then the brawl started. Ted was fighting with Vince, Shane was fighting with Cody, and Randy and Hunter were pounding on each other. I watched for a moment, then a louder wave of cheers from the crowd reminded me this was the middle of a championship match. I turned around and there was Maryse, clutching the women's title, ready to clothesline me. She ran at me, and knocked me over the head with the title. I hit the mat, she covered, one two three. The bell rang, her music started, the crowd went wild. After Maryse got up and started celebrating, I rolled out of the ring and stood, leaning on the apron, clutching my head.

Looking around, I saw Cody, Ted, Vince and Shane nowhere to be found. They must have taken their fight backstage. On the other side of the ring, I saw Randy getting beaten by Hunter. Then, I heard Stephanie's music start to play. Looking at the stage I saw her walk out, mic in hand.

"No no no, Maryse. You can quit celebrating now. You don't get lackies like my father and my brother and their steroid-jumped cronies to distract your opponent, just so you can sneak up on her and steal a win. I am, officially, right here and now, stripping you of the women's championship, and awarding the title to Alex." The crowd booed and I straightened up, a smirk on my face. "Because if it hadn't been for the interference, she was on her way to a win. So hand it over," Steph said. I rolled into the ring, and yanked the title from Maryse's hands before pushing her away, so as to not hog my spotlight.

The celebration wouldn't last more than a few moments, though. Next thing I knew, Hunter was in the ring. He was standing in front of me, and it was in that moment I realized how utterly huge he was. Glancing around, I didn't see Randy anywhere. Oh, fuck. Hunter shoved me, and I stumbled backward to the ropes. He was advancing on me quickly, and I was afraid of what he was going to do next. I was legitimately scared: none of us expected Hunter to react like this.

Moments later, he was being shoved out of my path, as Randy had appeared out of nowhere and tied up with The Game in the corner. I darted back to the far corner, and just watched the two fight. Damn, a simple situation had gotten way out of control. The two traded punches, and got back to the middle of the ring. One punch is all it takes, and Randy landed one huge one on Hunter. That was all it took: RKO! As soon as he'd landed the move he was back on his feet again, glaring down at Triple H, as if daring him to get back up so the Viper could coil to strike again. The Game, deciding that discretion was the better part of valor in this instance, rolled out of the ring. Maryse, of course, was there to help him up the ramp, and those two sulked away angrily.

Randy immediately moved over to my side, and helped me to my feet. "Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on my shoulder and handing me the championship I'd just won. I took the belt, and then looked up at him.

"Yeah... I'm fine."

"I'm gonna fuckin' kill that monster…" he said. "What the fuck was he thinking?"

"Let's just go backstage…"

He moved over to the ropes, and held them open. I climbed out, and we walked up the ramp together. Once we got backstage, he turned to me. He was clearly worried, for his eyes had in a moment gone from cold, viper grey to deep, deep blue. He put his hand on my shoulder again and hooked his other hand under my chin, tilting my head up so I was looking at him. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

I just nodded.

**It's so complicated, I'm so frustrated.**  
**I wanna hold you close, I wanna push you away.**  
**I wanna make you go, I wanna make you stay.**  
**Should I say it? Should I tell you how I feel?**  
**Oh, I want you to know. But then again, I don't.**  
**It's so complicated.**

Once Randy believed that I was fine, he walked me back to the divas' locker room, just to make sure Hunter wasn't going to try and take me out backstage. He told me he'd drive me back to the hotel if I didn't feel like driving myself, but I told him I'd be fine. I told him I'd text him later, and then went inside the locker room. As I set the Women's title on the table and took a seat, I noticed the way I was feeling.

The thrill of being handed that championship in such an impromptu way had faded, and become replaced by something else. At first I thought it was jitters and fear from nearly being attacked by one of the biggest - literally - superstars in the WWE. But that wasn't it. That would have been gone by now…

That's when it dawned on me. I knew where I had felt this before. That night in Green Bay. After we'd gotten Cody to his room. Ted left, and Randy and I walked back down the hall together. I'd felt this same thing during that awkward silence we walked in. Only… it hadn't seemed as awkward as I'd thought. Then tonight, when we were walking backstage after the match. We were both quiet again. I hadn't said much because I was still sort of in shock about what had gone down in the ring, and how worried Randy had been about me and making sure I was okay. I thought for sure he was so quiet because he was still fuming about what Hunter had done.

There was something else though. Butterflies. In my stomach. That nervousness would have faded long ago. Wouldn't it have? It seemed like they showed up every time Randy was around. I felt like I looked at him, sort of… differently than the other girls. Of course, he was that kind of stop-you-in-your-tracks gorgeous. But after getting to know him, I realized there was a whole other side to him. A sweet, sensitive, caring one. I knew not many people got to see that side of him, but after what happened after my match, I felt honored that I'd been privileged enough to.

I was snapped back to reality by someone knocking on the locker room. The knocks were followed by Cody's voice, from just outside the door. "Alex? Are you in there?"

"Yeah, I'm in here. You can come in, Code," I said, standing up and moving over to the mirror. I ran a hand through my hair, then tied it up with one of the hair ties that were a permanent fixture at my wrists. I saw him come inside in the mirror, and then walk over to me.

"Are you okay? Randy said you were pretty shaken up."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, turning to him and putting a smile on. He was so adorable. "You and Ted alright? Y'all disappeared pretty fast…"

"Yeah, we took care of it," Cody nodded, that usual half-smile, half-smirk on his face again. "I heard about what Hunter did. We'll take care of him, too,"

"Yeah, Cody, can we just not talk about that anymore, at least for tonight?"

"Oh, right, sorry," he said, pouting as if to apologize. "I'm hungry, you wanna hit up catering?"

I laughed. Leave it to Cody to turn the conversation to food. "Yeah, sounds good. I could use some food." I'd already taken off my boots, so I slipped my feet into a pair of flip-flops and followed him out of the locker room. We walked down the hall arm in arm, past the stage entrance and into catering.

Little did I know, down a back hallway that we passed, the Viper was preparing for his match. He always did that. Sulked in the shadows, getting his game face on for when it was go time. Go time not only to fight, but also to cause his masses of fangirls, like the ones that called themselves the "Snake Charmers" on Twitter, not only in the arena but watching at home too, to faint every time he posed. Unbeknownst to Cody and I, the icy blue eyes of our slithering faction leader were on us the entire time we were moving past him.

**Just when I think I'm under control,**  
**I think I finally got a grip,**  
**Another friend tells me that my name is always on your lips.**  
**They say I'm more than just a friend, **  
**They say I must be blind.**  
**Well, I admit that I've seen you watch me from the corner of your eye.**  
**Oh, It's so confusing.**  
**I wish you'd just confess. **  
**But think of what I'd be losing if your answer wasn't yes?**

That night, after I had dinner with Cody, and after the show was over, I went straight back to the hotel. I wasn't sure what the guys were doing, but I figured they were going out, as usual. When I got back to the hotel, I showered and changed, then got my stuff packed to fly out later that next day. I had planned on going to bed early, but I couldn't sleep. Had too much stuff on my mind. So I ended up staying up late, online and reading.

The next morning, I was woken up by my phone being blown up with text messages. They were all from Melina, trying to get me to wake up. Finally, I texted her back. Good morning to you too.

OMG! You're finally awake! she texted back.

Yeah. What's up?

Meet me downstairs. For breakfast. 15 minutes.

Rolling over, I groaned. I just wanted to sleep in. Okay. Fine. See you then. Getting up, I was cursing under my breath. Screw the company travel dress code, I was going down there in sweats. I changed into a black UnderArmour cap-sleeve BodyGlove tee and a pair of grey lounge pants. Then I tied my hair up and put my glasses on, slipped on flip-flops, and went downstairs. I found Mel already waiting by the restaurant. After taking a couple of pictures with the marks that were already there, we went inside and found a table set back from everyone else. Once we were seated and had ordered, Melina looked at me.

"So what's happening between you and Randy?"

I looked at her, confused. "What? Me and Randy? What are you talking about?"

"There has to be something going on between you."

"I swear to you, there's not. In case you have been living under a rock… I'm going out with Cody. I like him, why would I think about anybody else?" I lied. Randy had been on my mind a lot lately. I really, really, really liked him too. Just being around him. I don't know. It was hard to describe. But I wasn't going to bother. He was one of those guys that you just left alone. I didn't want to ruin my friendship with him. But I figured sooner or later he'd probably have to find out… but I'd face that tough, complicated situation later. I'd burn that bridge when I got there.

"Girl, don't even try to fool me. I've seen the way you look at him. And you might not have known it, but… there were cameras on you two backstage last night. After your match, when he was making sure you were okay? Yeah. The world saw that. And you're all he ever talks about anymore."

I was going to take a drink from my glass of orange juice, but I only got it half lifted off the table when I stopped. I looked at her. "What?"

"You're all he talks about anymore. Last night, John and I went out with him, Mike, Kelly, Ted and a couple of the other guys. Kelly and I chilled out most of the time, but every time we tried to talk to the guys, all Randy wanted to talk about was you."

I couldn't say anything. I really couldn't believe it. I was trying to push all the emotions I was having away, and now she went and told me this. Now what was I supposed to think?

I would have loved to hook up with Randy. Not only was he drop-dead gorgeous, but he was so sweet. Everyone thought he was just The Viper all the time; cold, calculating and vicious. But people were stupid. I knew he wasn't like that. I knew he cared about the people close to him more than anything, and that he would go to any lengths he had to go to to protect them. He seemed like the perfect guy. But then again, I really liked Cody too. I couldn't see myself breaking his heart just to start dating Randy.

**It's so complicated, I'm so frustrated.**  
**I wanna hold you close, I wanna push you away.**  
**I wanna make you go, I wanna make you stay.**  
**Should I say it? Should I tell you how I feel?**  
**Oh, I want you to know. But then again, I don't.**  
**It's so complicated.**

After my conversation with Melina at breakfast, I tried to put the whole Randy versus Cody situation out of my mind. I was perfectly happy with Cody, and I didn't want to have to deal with all the drama and fangirl hatred of being Randy's girl. Three weeks later, however, recent events would take an unexpected turn.

We had a house show at a small-town university in Colorado. We had to fly out early the next day, and I wasn't feeling well anyway, so we went straight back to the hotel after the show. I got there before the rest of our group and, without even thinking, went in the main entrance. Of course, fans abound. Cursing my stupidity, I started to grin and bear my way through autographs and pictures. I could feel myself running a fever, and I just wanted to shower and go to bed. But Vince always wanted us to save face, so you couldn't ignore fans once they spotted you. Unless you were the Undertaker.

After fifteen minutes of autographs, and pictures, I felt somebody tap me on the shoulder. "Hey, Alex," I heard a voice jeer. Turning around, I saw two female fans standing there. They appeared to be twenty-four or twenty five, and were completely decked out in D-Generation X florescent green and black. "What can I do for you?" I asked, wondering what this was about.

"Umm. You can make us all happy and quit wrestling," she retorted, giving me a highly dirty look. The next thing I knew, her 'sidekick' had uncapped the bottle of soda she was holding and thrown it all in my face. Flashbulbs went off like mad, and I could hear a roar of laughter.

I knew I had to get out of there, before I beat the living hell out of somebody. I grabbed the handle of my luggage, turned on my heel and walked to the elevator. The people waiting were clearly smart, because they allowed me to get on the elevator alone. I was thankful for that.

A minute later, the elevator stopped on the second floor and the doors opened. Who walked on? The one and only Randy Orton. He must've just gotten back, and taken the back entrance. He stepped onto the elevator and looked at me as the doors closed. "Oh God… what happened to you?"

I was on the verge of tears as I looked at him. But I couldn't cry. Crying is weakness, and I'd been raised to fear weakness. I tried to steady my voice as I spoke. "DX marks downstairs. Got double teamed." I turned my gaze to the ground, but I could still feel his eyes on me.

The next thing I knew he was standing next to me, his arms around me in a tight hug. I didn't have the energy to even think about what I was doing; I put an arm around him and rested my head on his chest. After a few moments, he spoke again. "Are you feeling okay?"

I wondered what he meant. "Yeah, just tired. Why?"

"You're burning up. I can feel it through my shirt." He placed a hand on my forehead, but then quickly removed it. "Yeah, you've got a major fever," he said. "You need to get rest. Fast." The elevator stopped, and the doors opened on our floor. "Come on. You can stay with me, I'll keep an eye on you," he said, leading the way off the elevator.

I followed him. "My stuff is all at my room though," I said. "And I have to change and shower…"

"Okay. At least let me help you get settled. I don't want you to pass out and hit your head or anything."

I just looked at him, hoping I was doing a great job of hiding the amazement on my face. "Okay."

Twenty minutes later, after we'd gotten back to the hotel room, I'd taken a lukewarm shower and changed into some decent sleeping clothes. I walked back out to go into the kitchen to say goodbye to Randy, but I found him standing near the window in the bedroom instead. When he heard me come in, he turned around. "You need sleep," he said. There was a caring in his voice I'd never heard before. Moving to the bedside table, he picked up a cool washcloth and handed it to me. "For your forehead," he said. "I'll stay here until you fall asleep. By then, the fever should have broken."

"Randy, it's almost midnight. And we have to fly out at nine-thirty tomorrow… you can go, I'll be fine."

Randy just shrugged. "It's fine. It shouldn't take long for you to fall asleep anyway." He sat down on one side, and patted the other. "Lay down. You need rest."

Moving to the other side of the bed, I laid down next to him. Without even thinking, I snuggled down next to him, my head resting on his chest, the cool cloth over my forehead. For the first time all day I felt completely relaxed, and started to feel just slightly better as I drifted off to sleep. I still felt guilty that Randy was staying here until I fell asleep, though, when he didn't have to.

Little did I know, he wouldn't leave my side until the next morning.

**Oh, I hate it. **  
**'Cause I've waited**  
**So long for someone like you**  
**Oh, what do I do?**  
**Oh should I say it?**  
**Should I tell you how I feel?**  
**I want you to know, but then again I don't.**  
**It's so complicated.**

-/-\-/-\-

The end. Currently working on a second part to this, from Randy's POV, called "Let Me Fall". Please review this part, and let me know if you'd like to see "Let Me Fall" or not. Thanks. :) 


	2. I Wanna Make You Cry

((Okay. So this is gonna be from Randy's POV. Seeing as I'm a girl, and I'm kinda scared to get in the mind of a guy… I'm gonna do my best to write this. I kinda revisit past events, and it's gonna be short, so… yeah, I'll try to make up for it in the next chapters. If you decide to review, and you think it sucks… tell me. Thanks.))

====

xx I Wanna Make You Cry xx

It had been nothing at first. Easy to fight. No big deal. Just brush it off. I could be around her and just chill. Just be myself. She was like one of my best friends from work. Almost one of the guys, like Ted or Matt or John or Mike. One of the few people I could let my guard down around.

Until about a month ago.

I think it all started the night we went out after the show in Green Bay. The night Cody got drunk off his ass. He was being a complete and utter douche bag. There was a part of me that just wanted to haul off and deck him for the way he was acting toward her. It occurred to me later that it was all in good fun, of course. I realized, getting back tom y own hotel room after walking her back to hers, that I was just acting like a big brother would. Protective of my little sister. As per usual, I brushed it off and moved on. There were bigger fish to fry, and she seemed happy the way her life was now.

But then there was that night in Colorado. The night back at the hotel after a house show. When the two of us were alone on the elevator. I still remember the look on her face. She looked devastated. As soon as I stepped on, I knew something had happened. Not just because of the fact that she was covered in soda. There was something different about her eyes when she looked at me. They were usually a bright, bright green. That night, they had faded to an almost indescribable color. There was a sadness there that I had never, ever seen before. Part of me wondered why she didn't cry. I felt an intense pang of hurt when I pressed my hand to her forehead and felt her fever. In that moment, I wanted to go downstairs and pound the hell out of those marks.

But as we got back to her room, my concern turned more to making her feel better than anything else. While she showered I got some medicine from her bag, and soaked a washcloth in cool water. She tried to convince me that she would be fine, and that I could leave, but I wasn't going anywhere until her fever had broken at least. I had seen people who had let fevers go without doing anything, and it never turned out well. I didn't want to see my friend hurt any more than I could tell she was already. After some coaxing, I got her to take the medication and lay down with the cool cloth on her forehead.

I hadn't intended to stay the entire night. I was planning on staying, as I had said, until her fever broke. But as she fell asleep, she curled into my side. When I felt her rest her head on my chest, I looked down at her. She looked peaceful, and relaxed. Reaching down, I gently brushed some hair from her face. That was when it occurred to me; she was breathtakingly beautiful. I couldn't bring myself to move, and risk disturbing her sleep while I left. So I settled down and tried to get comfortable to see if I could steal some sleep myself.

Over the next couple months or so, I could see Alex and Cody drifting. I gave Cody all the credit in the world, the kid was one of the hardest workers I've ever seen. But he just wasn't fitting in with Legacy. The people just liked him too much. That's when the creative team made the decision about the punt. They wanted to put Cody in a face role, anyway. Soon after that move was made, I could tell things were just about over between Cody and Alex.

He was bitter with us, because he thought we had been the ones behind the plot change. I thought for sure he'd get over it, but he didn't. And he took it out on all three of us. I could see Alex's heart breaking, because she really did care about Cody a lot. I admired her strength in trying to hide her real emotions, even from Ted and I. But I couldn't just watch her hurt. I knew I cared about her on a level higher than friendship, so I had to do something about it. But I had to figure out what that "something" was, first.

**How long has it been?**  
**How long have you held it in?**  
**And how long will you wait**  
**Before you let somebody take your breath away again?**

A week later, the roster had a rare three-day stretch where they got to go home. It was so nice to get to spend time at home, and sleep in my own bed. But sometimes I got so used to the fast-paced traveling life that three days full of nothing to do got to be a bit boring.

As was the case on the second day of this trip. I'd visited with my family all day yesterday, and I was going to a ball game with the boys tomorrow, but today I had the day all to myself. I woke up at six, and tried my hardest to go back to sleep. It just wasn't working. So I got up, and went for a run. Coming back, I took a shower and got dressed for the day. Then I went down to the kitchen, and pulled out my laptop. Sitting at the counter, I logged on and checked my e-mail, and started a few IMs. When I had finished sorting out the relevant from the junk in my inbox, I glanced over my messenger contact list one more time, and saw that Alex had logged on. Being bored and having nothing else to do, I sent her a message.

**IHearVoices80**: Hey you.

**AlexMariexox**: Heya.

**IHearVoices80**: What's up?

**AlexMariexox**: Not much, you? Enjoying your time at home?

**IHearVoices80**: Oh, yeah, definitely. But today's the slow day. Visited the family yesterday, and going to a baseball game tomorrow. Just chillaxin' today, probably gonna get packed to leave so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow. How about you? Any big plans?

**AlexMariexox**: Nah, not really. I had lunch and went shopping with my sister yesterday, and I'm going out to dinner with my entire family tonight. They're so overjoyed that I'm home, even if it's just for three days. I told them it's not like I never talk to them, but… they're still overjoyed.

**IHearVoices80**: That's good. They're your family. They love you. But… what about you? Are you happy being home?

There was a pause before she responded.

**AlexMariexox**: Yeah. Incredibly. But I miss all my friends from the road too. And I've never exactly fit in with my family, so… yeah. I kinda can't wait to leave again. See all you guys again.

**IHearVoices80**: That sucks you're not having fun. I'm sorry. : [

**AlexMariexox**: Eh, it's all good. I'll live.

There was that strength, again. I felt kind of bad for Alex, that she couldn't just let her guard down. I had learned to do it around her, but she still felt she had to put on that tough-girl attitude for everyone. Like they would think any less of her if she didn't. I knew what I wanted to say to her, but I didn't know if I could find the right words. I thought very carefully before sending my next message.

**IHearVoices80**: Yes, you will. How are you otherwise? Is everything else okay?

**AlexMariexox**: Yeah. Why do you ask?

**IHearVoices80**: No reason. I just know from experience that life on the road can be taxing on people. You can get worn out real easy.

**AlexMariexox**: And by "life on the road" you mean having to deal with all this Cody drama?

I knew he was going to come up in conversation eventually.

**IHearVoices80**: Well… yeah. That's part of it.

**AlexMariexox**: And the fans, right?

**IHearVoices80**: …yeah. They're a contributing factor too.

**AlexMariexox**: I see what you're saying. But I've been with you guys for over a year now, I'm getting used to it. Yeah, it was hard at first, dealing with the jackass fans, but I've learned how to deal. And with Cody… it is what it is. Whatever.

She sounded upset, and I didn't want to push the envelope anymore, because I knew emotions and tones sometimes didn't convey well through the written word of instant messages. So I decided it was time to lighten up the conversation a little.

**IHearVoices80**: Okay. I didn't mean to strike a nerve. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, ya know? Can't have anybody in the Legacy slouchin'. ; ]

**AlexMariexox**: Haha. Gotchya, Killer.

**IHearVoices80**: Hey now. That's Viper, to you.

**AlexMariexox**: Oh right. My bad.

**IHearVoices80**: You're lucky I don't still make you call me the One-Man Dynasty. ; ]

**AlexMariexox**: Hahaha. Dually noted.

**IHearVoices80**: Lol. Yeah.

**AlexMariexox**: : ] Well hey, It's three-thirty here on the East coast, I better go get ready for dinner. See you in Charlotte on Saturday?

**IHearVoices80**: Yep. Have fun at your dinner. And try to enjoy your family. : ]

**AlexMariexox**: Haha. Yeah. Later, Randy. : ]

**IHearVoices80**: Bye Alex.

_AlexMariexox has signed out._

Well. That hadn't gone exactly as I had planned. But it hadn't gone as badly as it could have, either. I would have to talk to her eventually, because I couldn't keep her at the back of my mind forever. Trying to push Alex out of my mind for a while, I closed my laptop and slipped it back into its carrying case. Then I pulled out my phone and texted a couple of my buddies, seeing if they wanted to catch a movie or something. I was at home, nothing to do, no work to worry about… why not make the best of it?

**I wanna be the one who turns you on.**  
**Makes love 'til the lonely's gone.**  
**Be the man you've dreamed of all your life.**  
**I swear I'll make it last until**  
**Tears of joy come pouring from your eyes.**  
**I wanna make you cry.**

**Tell me what to do.**  
**And I'll do what you want me to.**  
**'Cause darlin' I believe**  
**That I have fallen hopelessly**  
**And helplessly for you.**

Two days after our IM conversation, I caught a non-stop flight early in the morning from Saint Louis to Charlotte. We had the Bragging Rights pay-per-view tomorrow night here in town, so today's schedule was filled with appearances and meet and greets and all kinds of media. Great. But after all that was over, Ted and I had a surprise planned for Alex. Today was her birthday. We knew she didn't want a party, she had stressed that to us this time last year. But we still wanted to get her something. So we had gotten her a gift, and were going to give it to her. There was one problem. Judging by the sound of her tweets over the last couple of days, it sounded like her time spent at home hadn't gone well. So I was kind of concerned about how this whole gift thing was going to go. But we had it already, and it was her special day, so the best we could do was give her the present and hope it brightened her day a little. I was sure it would.

That night, around six, after the media day was over and we finally got back to the hotel, I pulled the wrapped box from my duffel bag. Inside was a plaque with a picture from the night she won the Divas' Championship. It was a cool picture with her in the middle and Ted and I on either side, raising her arms. We'd each written a custom message, and had it engraved on either side of the picture. I had written,

_Alex,_  
_I can't tell you how glad I am to have you as a part of this faction. You are the perfect diva to be a part of our trio, and I'm glad that you were the one they chose for this part. Not just because of the storyline. You're a great wrestler, and you have a great personality. You really are one of my closest friends. I want you to know that I care about you, and that if you ever need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask. I have an incredible respect for you that will never fade, and I want you to know that. Peace, love and Legacy._  
_-Randy_

I hadn't read Ted's message as I wrapped the gift, because it was none of my business. I called up Ted, to see where he was.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, Ted. Randy. Where you at, man? It's Alex's birthday, aren't we gonna take her the plaque?"

I heard a fit of coughing on the other end of the line. "Awh, man, that's right," Ted said, his voice hoarse. "I've got this wicked cough I gotta try to shake before tomorrow night. And I don't wanna risk gettin' you guys sick. Say happy birthday for me…"

I frowned. That sucked. "Alright man. Get better. Later." I hung up and sighed to myself as I pocketed my phone and picked up the box. There were two cards, one from each of us.

Walking down the hall, I found the room Alex was staying in. I knocked on the door, and stepped back, awaiting an answer. A moment later, the door opened and she peeked out. "Happy birthday!" I said, smiling brightly.

She looked at me, and offered a smile. But it was too late. There was that look again. That look of sadness I'd seen before. She tried, as usual, to hide it. Her eyes looked a little red, like she'd been crying recently. "Hey, thanks. Uh, you wanna come in?" she asked, stepping back and opening the door.

"Sure," I said, stepping inside. "So, uh, Ted and I got you something for your birthday…" I said, holding the box out to her.

Alex took the box, and gave me a look. "I thought I said no presents?"

"Yeah, well… we have it now. And you're going to take it. Because I think you're going to love it," I offered.

She just laughed once. "Okay. Fine. But just this once." She set the box down, and unwrapped it. Lifting the top off, I saw a smile cross her face when she saw it. "Wow, this really is cool," she said, picking it up and looking at it. "Thanks, guys." Then as she was setting it back in the box, she spotted my card. Picking it up, she opened it and slid it out of the envelope.

Inside, there was a printed message. It read.

"A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip."

And below the print, I'd written a hand-written message.

_I know you said no gifts or anything, but I found this idea and thought it would mean a lot. I care about you, and all I want is for you to be happy. I'll do anything to see you happy. Tell me what I have to do. I'll do what you want me to, because I've fallen for you._  
_Happy Birthday, Alex._  
_Love, Randy_

I watched her, hoping she would like the card. It had taken me a long time to come up with the right words. I'd written and re-written it until I'd gotten just right. John and Matt joked around with me that I was like a schoolboy crushing on the prettiest girl in the class, but I told them to shut up. I really admired Alex, and I wanted to tell her the right way. So finally I got the words the way I wanted them... or so I hoped.

She turned to me, her eyes looked like they were tearing again. I wondered what was going through her mind. "Randy... this…" She looked like she was searching for words. "This is so sweet of you... but... but it's not what I need right now."

My face fell. "Alex, I..."

"Randy, that's not what I mean. I agree, you're my best friend. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. You've helped me so much since I joined WWE, but... this Cody thing is still weighing on my mind, and... I don't think I can do this right now. Maybe one day, but... for now, I need a break."

I felt my heart sink, but at the same time I could see where she was coming from. "That's fine, Al," I said. Then, being me, and being bad at handling emotionally heavy moments sometimes, I tried to lighten the situation. "Can I at least have a hug from the birthday girl?"

She smiled, and stepped into my outstretched arms. I hugged her, and released her a moment later. "Well, I suppose I'd better get back," I said. "Happy birthday. We're gonna meet up to go to the show tomorrow right?"

"Yep. The three of us."

"Awesome," I smiled. "See you later." Before I could think about what I was doing, I leaned in and pecked her lightly on the cheek, before pulling away and turning and walking out the door.

**I wanna be the one who turns you on,**  
**Makes love till the lonely's gone.**  
**Be the man you dreamed of all your life.**  
**I swear I'll make it last until,**  
**Tears of joy come pourin' from your eyes.**  
**I wanna make you cry.**

**I swear I'll make it last until,**  
**Tears of joy come pourin' from your eyes.**  
**I wanna make you cry.**

Three weeks after Alex's birthday, we had a Raw TV event in Madison Square Garden in New York City. After the show, most of us decided we wanted to hit the club scene. The City That Never Sleeps, right? We found a spot to chill downtown, with an awesome VIP section and a staff that was stacked with WWE fans. Can you say free drinks? Oh yeah.

As usual, the ladies of our group were getting the majority of the attention. In this case, Alex and Melina. They had guys buying them drinks left and right, and judging by the mood she was in, I could tell Alex was back to her old, happy self. The Cody drama and calmed down, and she seemed cheerful again. That made me feel great. I didn't like to see her hurt, and I finally got to see that room-illuminating smile more and more often.

Later on that night, the girls decided to hit the dance floor. The crowd had thinned, so we'd moved to sit at the main bar. The five of us guys stayed at the bar while the girls worked it out on the dance floor. Highly entertaining, of course. Not only for the crowd, but for us too. No bones about it: divas were hot.

After a few songs, the DJs announced they were going to "slow it down for a few songs". The lights went down, and I heard a slow song start. Glancing to the floor, I saw John walking up to Melina. At that same moment I saw Alex move through the crowd toward the bathrooms on the other side of the club. I got up and moved after her, finally catching a hold of her hand from behind and turning her to face me. "Dance with me?" I asked.

She looked as if she was considering for the shortest of moments, then nodded and stepped back toward me. I took her hand in my left and intertwined our fingers, and wrapped my right arm around her shoulders. I couldn't keep the light smile off my face when I felt her rest her head on my shoulder.

As the song progressed I found myself starting to sing along softly. The song was one of the rare country songs I knew, I guessed it came from traveling with John so much. The lights were low, the music was slow and the two of us were swaying slowly - it was perfect. As was, I realized, the way she fit in my arms. Before I knew it, the lyrics were softly emitting from my lips, as if it was beyond my control. _I wanna be the one who turns you on / Makes love till the lonely's gone / Be the man you dreamed of all your life / I swear I'll make it last until / Tears of joy come pourin' from your eyes / I wanna make you cry. _

A moment later, Alex lifted her head and looked at me, a sort of intrigued look on her face. At the instant when my eyes met her bright green ones, before I could stop myself, I found myself more speaking to her than singing along with the music.

"I swear I'll make it last until tears of joy come pourin' from your eyes... I wanna make you cry."

====

Stay tuned for updates. 


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